The present invention relates to vehicle seats, and more particularly to adjusters for vehicle seats.
A conventional vehicle seat, and particularly a front vehicle seat, typically includes a seat frame and a seat adjuster. The seat adjuster typically includes a rail mechanism that is mounted to the floor of the vehicle and to the seat frame. The rail mechanism includes a separate rail assembly positioned on each side of the seat. Each rail assembly includes a first rail that is attached to the floor pan and a second rail that is attached to the seat frame. The rails are slidably interconnected to permit selective forward and rearward movement of the seat frame. Many conventional seat adjusters also include height adjustment mechanisms which allow the height of the seat to be adjusted. Often, the seat adjuster will include independent front and rear height adjustment mechanisms to permit adjustment of the angle of the seat.
The seat frame generally includes a cushion frame and a back frame that are separately mounted to the seat adjuster. The front and rear of the cushion frame are typically mounted to the front and rear height adjustment mechanisms while the back frame is typically secured to the second rail by a recliner mechanism. The recliner mechanism includes a first arm attached to the second rail and second arm attached to the back frame. The two arms of the recliner mechanism are pivotally interconnected to permit selective adjustment of the angle between the back frame and the seat adjuster.
There is an increasing trend in the automotive industry toward "integral restraint" or "all belts to seat" designs. In these designs, the seat belts are secured to the seat assembly rather than to the vehicle floor pan, body pillar or other structural member. These constructions facilitate assembly of the vehicle. However, because they are required to withstand the forces transmit through the seat belt, these designs require more strength than conventional designs. There is a current need for a relatively inexpensive, high strength seat adjuster that meets the strength requirements of an "all belts to seat" design.
Currently, the various components of a vehicle seat, such as the seat adjuster, the recliner mechanism, and the seat frame, are separately manufactured-usually by different suppliers. The seat components are often collected and assembled by one or more additional suppliers. The relatively large number of suppliers involved in the manufacture and assembly of a vehicle seat increases the costs of manufacturing and assembling the seat. Further, the multiplicity of connections between the various components raise quality control issues.